Hollywood could be exempt from NY’s assault-weapons ban

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders may exempt film productions in New York from the stringent assault-weapons ban passed last month.

Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, told reporters today that there are not expected to make major changes to the gun-control law adopted Jan. 15. But they could amend the law so Hollywood productions are exempt from the assault-weapons ban.

“We haven’t talked about the details of it, but the basic concept of should you be able to use these types of guns in movies? The answer is yes,” Cuomo said. “We spend a lot of money in the state bringing movie production here, post-production here. So obviously we would want to facilitate that.”

Cuomo said he and lawmakers are mainly looking at “technical corrections” to the controversial law. He said the Hollywood exemption may not even be necessary, but they are considering it.

“I don’t know that it’s a real issue because they don’t use real guns,” Cuomo said. “Apparently, they have blanks or phony magazines or something. So I don’t know that legally it would even be classified as an assault weapon if it’s a phony gun, but people want certainty and there’s no reason not to make a change like that, to give an industry comfort, especially when it’s an industry that we want doing business in the state.”

Gun-rights groups are holding a major rally tomorrow at the Capitol, calling for a repeal of the hastily passed law. They are also playing to sue the state to have it tossed.

Silver said one oversight in the law is that police officers need to be exempt from the assault-weapons ban. Cuomo’s office has also acknowledged that the change is also needed.

4 Comments

Ed

Seriously? How much money do gun owners spend? Hunters? Guns and ammunition are not cheap. Cleaning supplies, reloading supplies, targets, cases, safes, cabinets, hearing protection, holsters, meals while at range, club memberships? Oh yes, and what is the economic impact of the Remington Arms factory on the Mohawk valley?